Now Within Few Thousand Yards Of Munda Field

Northern Advocate, 23 July 1943, Page 3

Now Within Few Thousand Yards Of Munda Field

tßec. 1 p.m.) (Special) SYDNEY, This Day. The important Japanese airfield of Munda. New Georgia Island is within reach of capture by United States troops. A spokesman at South Pacific headquarters said that American ground forces were within a few thousand yards of the field. “Most of me enemy artillery has been knocked out,” he said. “The Jap-, anese are fighting chiefly with mortars, machine-guns and small arms. There is no sign that the enemy can break through our ground, sea or air blockade and no important Japanese forces have got through to relieve or reinforce Munda base. Enemy opposition is deteriorating steadily.” From New Guinea it is revealed that six Messerschmitts 109 s were among 19 Japanese fighters shot down over Ramu-Valley on Thursday, by American Lightning fighters. Though it has ■long been known that Japan is making Messerschmitts under German guidance, this is the first time they have been reported in the South-West Pacific area. For the first time, too, Japanese pilots parachuted from their planes in numbers when their aircraft were destroyed during a big battle. Desperate counter-attacks by the trapped Japanese garrison at Munda, New Georgia, in an attempt to break through the encircling Allied ring have been repulsed with heavy losses. No detailed reports are yet available of this action, which is reported by General MacArthur’s communique today. It will be recalled that in the final stages of the Papuan campaign, similar efforts to smash through the Allied lines were made by trapped and starving Japanese troops. Heavily Bombed Nine miles north of Munda. enemy positions at Bairoko Harbour have been blasted by the heaviest air assault yet made in the South or South-west Pacific areas. More than 150 Mitchell medium bombers. Dauntless dive-bombers and Avenger torpedo-bombers, with strong fighter cover, made sorties over the target area. The attacks lasted throughout the day. This record air action was supported by a United States ground assault on the Japanese Northern New Georgia strongpoint, which was formerly a supply and reinforcement base for the Munda garrison. - . A The Japanese have already been beafen on New Georgia, though it may take a fortnight or longer to destroy the last elements of resistance, says a war correspondent in the Solomons. Wise Tactics By a frontal assault, the Americans could have. captured Munda in one day, .iust as they took Guadalcanal-, claims the correspondent. This, however, would have scattered the Japanese garrison into the surrounding bush, involving a long mopping-up campaign. It was therefore decided to surround Munda and pin the enemy within its perimeter defences. Illustrating Allied air supremacy over New Georgia, the correspondent says that recently the Japanese have been sending fighters ahead of their bombers-to scout for American fighters. If our fighters are in the air the entire enemy band scurries off. Heaviest Air Attack General MacArthur’s communique today reports the following operations in the Solomons: “New Georgia.—Bairoko Harbour: Our medium torpedo and dive-bombers, with fighter escort, made numerous attacks on enemy positions during the day, in support of our ground forces, when 133 tons were dropped cn the area, which was extensively strafed. It was the heaviest air attack that has been executed by Allied forces in the South-West Pacific area. “Munda: Enemy ground forces launched a strong counter-attack and were repulsed with heavy losses.

Vella Lavella: Our fighters attacked and set on fire in Pakoi Bay, two enemy barges loaded with oil.”